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CU regents to dial up applicants to boost in-state numbers

Ininitatives tabbed to target top-flight Colorado students

By Brittany Anas Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
01/11/2013 06:19:16 PM MST

Updated:
01/11/2013 06:20:53 PM MST

KREMMLING -- In an effort to help seal commitments of high-achieving students considering the University of Colorado, regents this spring will make personal phone calls to applicants on behalf of the campuses.

The Board of Regents met Friday for the second and final day of a board retreat hosted at CU President Bruce Benson's mountain ranch, discussing the board's strategic plans. Among them, is the small recruitment outreach project, which comes on the heels of a 3.6 percent enrollment dip in in-state freshmen on Boulder's campus last fall.

The regents' efforts are in addition to a new merit-based scholarship program recognizing high-caliber Colorado students, and Boulder campus officials have invested $2 million into the fund.

The "CU-Boulder Esteemed Scholars Program" will be awarded to a select group of resident freshmen, with awards totaling $10,000 to $20,000 over four years and doled out based on their high-school grade point averages and test scores.

Board chairman Michael Carrigan, D-Denver, said that he will be helping call Colorado students who have applied to the university but have not yet committed, and other regents were encouraged to join in the project.

Already on the Boulder campus, faculty members, deans and associate deans are also making personal phone calls to top Colorado students who have been admitted but not yet confirmed with the school, DiStefano said.

DiStefano said the university is working on a script for regents, which, for example, would include information on how to reach the financial aid office if students ask about scholarships or loans.

Last fall, CU enrolled 3,046 in-state freshmen -- which were 115 fewer than the previous year.

Board members on Friday also decided they will revive subcommittees that meet informally with campus chancellors. The meetings will be informal and take place a few times a year. A similar structure existed more than a decade ago, but dissolved with some concerns among CU leaders.

Chancellor Phil DiStefano said in the past that the leadership meetings with regents focused too heavily on athletics. He said he'd like the gatherings with regents to center around research or campus initiatives such as international recruitment. CU regents now have an athletics subcommittee.

The decision came after a brief objection from Glen Gallegos, a Grand Junction Republican who is new to the board.

"It sounds like more government and I'm not in favor of more government," he said.

Regents will be assigned to campuses for the subcommittee after being asked their top choices.

Also discussed at the retreat was the possibility of better surveying graduates to see where they are working and if they are in fields related to their majors. CU President Bruce Benson estimated such a survey would cost $10,000 and several CU leaders agreed it would be a worthwhile investment.

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